Thrifted Bowls Worth $0.99 Sell for Nearly $1,400

Two ceramic bowls purchased for $0.99 each at a Milwaukee Goodwill sold at auction for nearly $1,400. The seller, Wendy Sheridan, identified the pieces as works of the renowned Natzler pottery studio.

The bowls, dating from 1960 to 1964, were crafted by husband-and-wife team Otto and Gertrude Natzler. Sheridan discovered the signature on the bottom of the bowls, which led her to an auction house specializing in their work. The sale highlights the potential value of items found in thrift stores, even when they appear to be ordinary household goods.

In the summer of 2025, Wendy Sheridan visited a Goodwill store within walking distance of her home in Milwaukee. She had moved to the city after living in Chicago for 35 years and was using thrifting to explore her new surroundings. While browsing, she found two ceramic bowls priced at $0.99 each.

Despite the low price tag, Sheridan felt the bowls were significant. She noted that the items looked finely made. Her intuition was sparked by her familiarity with the craft, gained through her sister, who is a ceramic artist. Upon turning the bowls over, she found a handwritten signature and a serial number on the bottom.

Sheridan has been thrifting since she was 12 years old. She described thrifting as an outlet she used while staying home with her children. Over the years, she has started an antique business and an interior design business, relying on her creativity to find value in discarded items.

The signature on the bowls identified them as the work of Otto and Gertrude Natzler. The couple were Austrian immigrants who moved to California to escape World War II. They are credited with leading the resurgence of the craft pottery market, which had declined due to the global wars and a shift toward utilitarian production.

The specific bowls found by Sheridan were created during the mid-century period, specifically between 1960 and 1964. The Natzlers worked as a team: Gertrude threw the bowls, and Otto applied the glaze. Their work is credited with restoring public appreciation for pottery as a legitimate art form rather than just functional dishware.

While the name Natzler rang a bell for Sheridan, she did not know the full history at the time of purchase. The discovery turned a casual shopping trip into a significant historical find.

Sheridan took the bowls to an auction house that had a history of selling Natzler pieces. In August 2025, the bowls were sold through Rago Auctions. They fetched a final price of $1,397, turning her $1.98 purchase into a major profit.

The financial success of the sale was not the only highlight for Sheridan. She posted about the experience on social media, where the story gained unexpected traction. She expressed satisfaction in seeing her intuitive sense validated on such a large scale.

Sheridan is not new to finding high-value items at low prices. She noted that she has kept other treasures found at the same Goodwill, including:

• An engraved book from 1595
• An etching from Mozart's time (around 1785)
• A map from 1600 purchased for $5

The sale of the Natzler bowls demonstrates the hidden value that can be found in thrift stores. Through a combination of intuition and historical knowledge, Wendy Sheridan was able to identify and monetize a piece of art history. The transaction serves as a notable example of the thrifting community's pursuit of 'treasure to profit'.